B2. Best Animation (Nominee)
DANCE: A FLOCK Story
From Stephen Liu
Ok, look… It’s World War 1, a bombed-out village in Northern France, and there’s this angry, old Australian digger picking a fight with a young boy soldier who’s just trying to look after his flock of messenger pigeons.
The thing is, the pigeon in question happens to be a 6ft man-pigeon of mysterious origins, and the old Soldier wants him dead.
But deep down, the man-pigeon dubbed ‘War Pige’ just wants to dance...
Adapted for animation by STUDIO_GFS Animation Studio, Griffith Film School, 2nd year class of 2025, based on the FLOCK comic book series published by Gestalt Comics, Australia.
Hi, my name is Stephen Liu and I'm an animation student from Brisbane, Queensland, currently studying at Griffith Film School. I have a strong interest in character animation, visual storytelling and bringing stories to life through 2D animation. In 2025, I directed DANCE: A FLOCK Story, an animated adaptation from Dr. Paul Mason's graphic novel FLOCK, created under Griffith Film School's Animation Studio program with an incredibly talented team of fellow students and supervising staff. The project gave me the opportunity to develop my skills as a first-time director, while working collaboratively within a production pipeline. I am honoured and grateful to have the film shortlisted for Best Animation at AUYFF 2026.
What inspired you and your work?
DANCE: A FLOCK Story was inspired by Dr. Paul Mason’s graphic novel FLOCK and the opportunity to bring an existing Australian story to life through animation. As a student production, the project was also inspired by our desire to learn through practical experience and collaborative filmmaking. The film draws visual inspiration from 1990s anime, particularly with Miyazaki's Porco Rosso in mind. Personally, I was inspired by the chance to work alongside a talented team of artists and animators while helping realise a story that was already deeply meaningful to its creator. The experience taught me the value of collaboration, creative problem solving, and learning by doing.